


All scars aren’t visible.

by Whambamthanksbatfam



Series: Lost in the Past, Found in the Future? [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brother Feels, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Love, Damian Wayne-centric, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Family Drama, Fights, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mother-Son Relationship, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Scars, The Batfam equivalent of Brotherly Bonding, Trauma, batfamily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 02:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14439738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whambamthanksbatfam/pseuds/Whambamthanksbatfam
Summary: Dick finds out something about Damian. A new relationship is introduced.





	All scars aren’t visible.

**Author's Note:**

> Next one!

When Dick walked into the manor, the first thing he heard was a choking sound. He ran into the living room to see Damian choking Tim. “Damian! Get off him!” Dick tore him off Tim. Tim was coughing, gasping for breath. “What’re you doing?” Dick was mad. Why couldn’t they ever get along? He looked at Damian since Tim, for obvious reasons, didn’t have the ability to speak yet. 

“Drake wouldn’t hold his tongue, so I was helping him.”

“You could’ve killed him!”

“I wouldn’t have.” Tim had finally caught his breath.

“I hate you,” Tim said, “Do you believe me now, Dick?” Tim still hadn’t forgotten those videos. Dick ignore the question and turned to Damian. 

“Why’d you choke Tim?”

“Because he contested my family’s honor.”

“How?”

“He was rude.”

“What did he do?”

“He insulted Mother.”

“And this was worth choking him over?”

“He made gratuitous claims.” Damian obviously didn’t want to repeat whatever Tim said, but Dick wanted to know.

“Which were?”

“He said Grandfather used her physical attributes for business deals and that Grandfather makes her participate in non-consensual sexual activities.” Dick glared at Tim. What was wrong with him?

“Tim, I’ll have Alfred handle you. But, Damian, you can’t just choke those who insult your family.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.”

“I won’t take that advice.”

“It’s not advice,” Dick said authoritatively. Damian scoffed, and looked at Tim.

“Insult my mother again, and I will do worse.” Tim honest to God gulped in horror, and Damian smirked.

“Damian, you will do no such thing. C’mon, we are going to go do some brotherly bonding things.” Dick dragged Damian by his leg when the boy refused to move, and went to the pool. “Let’s swim.”

“N-no thank you, Grayson.” Dick was perplexed by Damian’s tone.

“C’mon, little D.” Dick turned around, but Damian was gone. Dick looked for the boy for 20 minutes, but couldn’t find him, so he called in the Calvary. It was all hands on deck in search of Damian. They searched for hours, but they couldn’t find him. Bruce called Talia, but she didn’t seem to know where he was either. 

 

Damian was hiding in a random room he found in the manor. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this. The water brought back memories, bad memories. Memories of nearly being drowned when he failed to fulfill his tasks as a toddler. They didn’t want to hit him since his bins were so soft, so they deprived him of oxygen until he turned blue. 

 

He was trying and failing to control his breathing and tears were running down his face. Why was Damian so weak? No assassin should cry over this. He needed to be stronger, but he couldn’t gain control. 

 

Damian heard someone coming. He escaped into the vents and crawled carefully. He didn’t make a sound. He then made his way to the attic, and curled into the furthermost corner. He could hear the echoes of Grayson and the others calling for him. 

 

_ Get it together. _ Damian thought.  _ You are Damian al Ghul-Wayne, heir to the demon, son of the bat. You are completely and totally fine. All you have to do is get to your bedroom, and you can sleep. They won’t look in there again. _ Damian stood up and went back into the vents. He crawled to his room, and dropped down. He quickly changed into his pajamas and laid down in his bed. Quickly, sleep overtook him, and he fell into a restless slumber.

 

Dick was scared now. Damian could be hurt, or worse, dead by now. He was walking through the hallway to go to the cave and suit up when he heard Damian’s cat, Alfred, meowing. Alfred only meowed for Damian. He hissed at everyone else. Dick went into the room to see Damian sleep and safe in  his bed. Surrounded by his mini zoo. Dick called into his comm that Damian was fine and back in his bed.

 

Dick wondered where the boy could’ve gone. He hated to think it, but he knew they’d have to check police records for deaths that had a cause similar to an assassins M.O., but he hoped they wouldn’t find any. 

 

He walked up to the bed, and sat down by Damian’s head. “Grayson,” he slurred. The boy was too vigilant to not wake up at Dick’s arrival.

“Hey, Little D,” Dick said softly, “Wanna tell me where you went? You had us worried.” Damian mumbled something into his pillow. “I don’t know what you said,” Dick laughed. Damian turned his head to the side.

“My hiding spot.” His voice was still laced with sleep.

“Where is that?”

“Can’t tell you. How would I hide if I did?” That made Dick laugh again.

“Okay, but leave a note or something next time so that we know you’re okay.” Damian nodded from his pillow. His eyes hadn’t opened once during the whole conversation. “Love you,” Dick kissed him in the forehead. Damian didn’t answer though. He was already back to sleeping.

 

Dick decided he needed to figure out what set Damian off, so he got to work making plans.

…

Damian walked into the cave for training to see a solitary cup of water on the mats. He decided to ignore it, and begin training. Later that day, he found a pail of water in his room. It made him a bit anxious, but he ignored it. When Damian went to get a shower, and the whole bathtub was filled with water, he freaked. He curled up into a ball and began to rock slowly.  _ He couldn’t breathe. He fought against the hand holding him under, but the hand only pushed him deeper. His lungs burned. They burned worse than when Grandfather had made him walk 1 mile over hot coals. _

 

Little did Damian know that Dick was in his room watching Damian and saw the whole fiasco in the bathroom as it unfolded. He felt badly now. He had now traumatized the boy twice. He shut his laptop and jogged to Damian’s bathroom. He emptied the water from the bathtub. “Little D,” Dick said softly. He crouched down by the boy. Damian didn’t respond. “Damian.” The boy was staring straight ahead. He must have been having a flashback.

 

Dick was careful not to touch him, but snapped his fingers in front of Front of his face until Damian snapped out of it. “Dami.”

“What,” Damian said weakly.

“You okay?”

“Of course.”

“It’s okay you know.” Damian tilted his head, unsure of what Dick was saying. “To be afraid of water. I’m sure you have your reasons.” Dick said if as if it were a question. Prompting Damian to answer it.

“I’m not.”

“Dami—“

“I’m not. You’re mistaken.”

“Damian, I saw your reaction to the pool yesterday, and to the cup and pail.”

“So it was you,” Damian said coldly. That meant he was hurt. Why would Dick do that if he knew how Damian would react?

“I’m sorry.” Dick grabbed Damian, to the boy’s chagrin, and sat him in his lap. The boy stopped contesting once he was situated. He must have been really out of it, because he even laid his head against Dick’s chest. Dick rubbed his wrist soothingly. After awhile, Dick picked the boy up, and took him to his bed. The boy clung to Dick as he walked. 

 

When Dick sat Damian down, the boy tried and failed to hide a yawn. Dick read the clock and saw it was 7:00pm. That time was early by vigilante standards, but it made sense that it would be getting late for any normal kid Damian’s age. Dick didn’t know what time Damian usually went to bed. The boy did his own thing most of the time, so Alfred was probably the only one that knew. Dick figured it didn’t matter when Damian usually went if he was tired now. “Wanna go to bed, Dami?” The boy didn’t answer, so Dick took that as a yes and got him some pajamas. The boy changed into them when prompted, and Dick delivered his dirty clothes to the hamper. 

 

Dick laid him down and tucked him in. Damian had been staring into space the whole time. “Damian,” Dick whispered. The boy looked over. “Wherever you think you are, you’re not.” Damian nodded and closed his eyes. Dick hoped he hadn't broken the boy with his experiment as he left the room.

… 

The next day, Damian kept to the shadows. He didn’t show up for breakfast, so Alfred sent Tim to get him. Damian was training when he heard Tim walking up. He decided to have some fun, so he threw a knife in Tim’s direction. It barely missed his neck. “Damian,” Tim yelped, “What’re you doing? Stop that!” Damian didn’t respond and kept training. “Alfred said breakfast is ready…  Are you mute now or something?... I’m totally okay if you are…. I think it’d be a good life choice on your part.” Tim was freaked out now. Damian never stayed silent. 

 

He ran up the stairs and into the dining room where everyone else was. “I think Damian is broken.” Duck muttered a curse, and Jason snickered.

“What do you mean, Tim,” Bruce asked.

“H-he isn’t talking.”

“Have him come upstairs.” Tim nodded and left. He came back a minute later with Damian. The boy stood there indifferently with his arms crossed. “What’s wrong, Damian?” The boy didn’t answer, or even move. Bruce looked to Dick for help, but the young man just looked sad. 

“Baby bat,” Jason singsonged. “What’s wrong? Wanna go do some homicide therapy? I’m game if you are.” Damian didn’t react. 

“Damian,” Bruce said insistently. 

“Dickie looks guilty,” Jason teased. “What did you do? Are you responsible for breaking the demon?”

“He’s not broken,” Dick argued, not denying the fact that it may be his fault.

“Yes he is.” Jason and Tim said uniformly. 

“Dick,” Bruce said. “You break him, you fix him.” Dick sighed while getting up. 

“C’mon, Little D.” Damian didn’t move, so Dick grabbed his arm and dragged him away. “We’ll be back soon.” Dick took Damian up to his room, and sat him on the bed. “What’s wrong, Dami?” Damian didn’t answer. Dick pulled him into a hug. After a minute, Damian leaned into the hug, relaxing his shoulders, but keeping his arms crossed. They sat there for five more minutes. “You’re not gonna talk to me? I’m sorry about yesterday.” Damian sniffed. “C’mon. Please? I’ll do anything.” Damian still didn’t respond.

“I want Mother,” Damian whispered. 

“Uh, I don’t know if Bruce will--”

“Please,” he whimpered.

“It’s okay, Little D. I’ll get her.” Dick hugged him tighter. 

… 

Later that afternoon, the doorbell rang. Alfred answered the door like the good butler he is and saw no other than Talia al Ghul. “Miss al Ghul.”

“Hello, Pennyworth. I am here to visit my boys.” By boys, she really meant Damian, but she couldn’t pass up a chance to see her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Bruce. Alfred let her in. 

“Hi, Talia,” Dick greeted happily. Talia scowled at him. She never liked Grayson, he never gave her any time alone with Bruce when he was younger. He was more of a demon than her father.

“Grayson.”

“Dami’s in his room.”

“Who?”

“Dami, short for Damian.”

“Who gave him that asinine nickname?”

“Me,” Dick chuckled. Of course, nothing good ever came from Richard Grayson in Talia’s opinion. She scoffed and went into her son’s bedroom. Many people thought Talia was a horrible mother. That she was mean and callous and that she ignored Damian, but Damian knew better. His mother was kind and sweet. She just had to put on a show for others. She couldn’t show weakness. 

“My love,” she greeted Damian and sat by him. 

“Mother,” he said softly and smiled. She laid his head in her lap and carded her hands through his hair. She adored her boy. He made her and her father so proud. 

“How is Gotham?”

“Less than adequate. I miss you,” he sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist. They both knew the act they had to put on for respect, but when they were in private, they were both able to relax.

“You may go home soon. I know you want to now, but the time will go by fast.” Damian sniffed. “Mara and the others miss you. Father is not going to send them on any missions until you return.” Damian nodded. “Have you been taking care of yourself? You look too skinny.”

“Always, mother.”

“I lo-care for you deeply. You are aware of this, yes?” They still had a hard time with feelings, but they felt it was the intention that was most important.

“Yes, mother. The feeling is mutual.”

“I am proud of you, and Father is too,” she said warmly. Damian hugged her tighter, and began to doze off in her lap. Talia decided she would allow him a small nap before dinner.

… 

Dick wondered what was going on with Damian and Talia.  _ Was she hurting him? Was he happy now? Why did he need her? All she does is abuse him. Does she even love him? _ Dick was pulled out of his thoughts by Bruce. “When did Talia get here?” Bruce looked stressed.

“Today.”

“Why?”

“Dami wanted to see her.” That surprised Bruce. He had thoughts similar to Dick’s on the subject of Damian and Talia’s relationship. 

“Is she… staying for dinner?”

“Of course. She’ll probably stay a bit after too,” Dick said wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Dick,” Bruce chuckled.

“Exactly,” Dick laughed.  _ That boy is so immature, _ Bruce thought.

… 

Dinner was… awkward at best. It went like this: 

“Talia,” Bruce said coldly.

“My beloved,” she smiled evilly, and kissed him on the cheek.

“Why are you here?”

“To visit. I know you must miss me.”

“No,” Bruce blurted. He said it so fast it made the boys and Alfred question the verity of his statement. They sat down to eat. Dick and Alfred tried to prompt small talk, but failed. Damian was happy, if only because his mother was here. He missed her dearly though he would never admit it to anyone, but her. “How’s Ra’s?” Bruce asked trying to make conversation after receiving a glare from Alfred.

“Father is good. I pray your nightly endeavors are going well.”

“They are. Actually, after dinner, may I speak with you in private.” That elicited a snicker from Jason and Dick. Tim turned red from the sexual tension, and Damian was downright confused. 

“What about, Father?”

“Nothing important.”

“Then why can it not be done here? What is the topic?”

“Sexology?” Jason snickered.

“Probably child rearing,” Tim said, totally serious. His detective skills were on par, they knew that was the answer when Bruce froze. Dick gasped, Tim and Jason laughed, and Damian scowled.

“I am being reared perfectly fine.”

“It seems Bruce begs to differ,” Jason singsonged.

“Go ahead, Bruce,” Dick said.

“Oh-- Um, well…”

“Don’t waste my time, beloved,” Talia said bluntly.

“I think Damian’s ties with the league need to be severed, or at least put on hold, while he is Gotham.”

“Never,” Damian sneered, “You can’t do that.” Talia gave Damian a ‘I raised you right’ look, and responded herself.

“No such thing will be done. Damian is heir to the demon. He will not have his future ripped from him.” 

“I won’t have him killing people in my city.”

“You allow Jason to,” Talia said. That had Bruce stumped.

“Yeah,” Jason chimed in, “Everyone should have equal opportunity to kill in Gotham. How dare you discriminate against Damian! It’s okay, Baby bat. I will kill double the men until this injustice is remedied.” 

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Dick muttered, but no one seemed to hear him. 

“You cannot turn him against his own blood,” Talia screamed. Then Bruce and Talia began a screaming match. Dick escorted his brother’s out the room, before too much was heard. “I’m sorry, Dami.”  

“They’ll stop after a while. One of them might end up unconscious, but they will stop.” That made Dick want to cry, but he kept the tears he would cry for the boy packed away for later. 

“Let’s go watch a movie,” Dick perked up.

“No thank you,” Damian said. 

“Nuh uh uh, Baby bat,” Jason chuckled and grabbed Damian. Damian put a knife to his throat.

“Put. me. Down.” 

“Sheesh,” Jason said as he put Damian down. 

“Why does he get to put knives to our throats and choke us whenever he wants,” Tim complained.

“Because you all can’t figure out how to beat him,” Dick chuckled. Damian went to his room.

“What does he do in there,” Jason asked.

“I don’t know,” Dick said.

“We should find out,” Tim exclaimed.

“Have you forgotten the last thing that happened when we invaded his privacy?” Dick was kind of scared to go again.

“We could ask to come in,” Jason suggested. They all agreed and went to the door. Dick knocked because he lost rock, paper, scissors. They heard shuffling, then Damian opened the door.

“What?”

“May we come in?” Damian fidgeted a bit, but otherwise stayed perfectly still.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why?”

“I am busy.” 

“With what?” 

“Please go, Grayson.” Dick was worried now. Why wasn’t Damian allowing them to come in? 

“You okay, Little D?”

“Yes.” Damian closed the door. Dick knocked again. 

“Please?” Damian sighed and opened the door.

“Find.” The three older boys paraded in, and saw nothing special.

“What were you doing,” Tim asked. 

“Nothing.”

“Yeah right.” The boys heard a shatter. They ran into the living room to see Bruce and Talia still going at it. Damian sighed. He ran up to them both and shot them with darts. They fell to the ground, out cold.

“Damian,” Dick said. “What was that for?”

“It was necessary. They were being annoying and childish.” Jason couldn’t help but laugh at a child calling adults children. 

“So you knocked them out,” Jason chuckled.

“I am tired of hearing them fight. I really don’t care.” Damian pulled out his phone and dialed a number. “Grandfather… Mother and Father were fighting… I took your advice…. Yes… Will you send a helicopter for her… I can escort her… Yes, Grandfather…. I apologize….”  _ Why is Dami always saying sorry? _ Dick thought. “.... Goodbye, Grandfather.” Damian sighed as he dragged his mother to the sofa. Dick saw what he was doing and picked her up and sat her there. Jason and Alfred took Bruce to his bedroom while Tim sat on the loveseat, and Dick sat by Damian where he was on the floor next to his mother.

“Have you had to do this before?”

“Many a times. Father always starts it, he’ll complain about the fact that I kill people or league protocol. Then Mother defends the league’s practices and says Father is trying to turn me against my own blood. It never stops from there.” Tim and Dick nodded, and the boys sat and waited for Talia’s transportation.


End file.
